awareness sustainability and recycling

The market wants less packaging material. The focus is on environmentally friendly packaging and compostable wrapping. "We encourage the use of mono-materials. New developments also require adjustments to packaging machines. In order to limit the food waste, we supply resealable solutions."

The food sector is aware of the fact that the consumption of plastic packaging must be reduced significantly. Manufacturers require solutions that meet minimum packaging requirements. "We challenge our clients to take a close look at the whole package, with the goal of reducing the thickness", says Sales manager Dick Kuperus of Global Flexibles. "Thanks to our knowledge and experience, we test possible solutions in the entire process. We also consider the use of recyclable mono-materials. Our Apet-R cling foil packaging, for example, is made from a maximum of 80% recycled material. We use Bio-PE for lunch bags."

"Politicians must determine the requirements. The industry thinks about the development of a product. And how do you ensure that the consumer recognises compostable packaging, for example?" The supplier of packaging foil prioritises sustainability and constantly tries to influence the mindset in the sector in a positive way. "We promote awareness among our clients. The development of recyclable packaging needs a boost. Politics and industry need to work hard together."

Process guidance

Global Flexibles supplies rolls of packaging foil(s) to the food industry, both transparent and printed foil. Previously, 90% of the sales consisted of transparent foil. The share of printed foil has now risen to more than 50%. This change places much higher demands on process guidance. "My customer delivers to the retailer who delivers a packaging design. In the first place, we determine the right foil structure based on the application, taking into account, among other things, stability, desired shelf life and appearance. We check the artwork supplied accurately. We adapt it if necessary and prepare it for the printing process: flexo, coper or digital. This is how we guide the entire process. Each customer gets their own space in the customer portal. They always have all the data and documents for each article."

Keep stock

The service goes a step further. Global Flexibles also keeps stock for the customer. The new warehouse with 700 to 800 pallet places is located in Krimpen aan den IJssel. An additional 1,500 spots are available externally. "One call and we deliver. We think along with the customer in terms of their production planning. Based on consumption, we estimate the weekly or monthly demand. This way we prevent their product from running out. In other words, we make sure their production process doesn't grind to a halt”, explains Dick. This level of commitment has given this prominent player in the Dutch market steady growth over ten years. More and more manufacturers and processors in cheese, meat, fish, bread and coffee appreciate their service concept. Practice shows that when a retailer is satisfied with the solution and service, dozens of products can suddenly follow. Dick: "In all European supermarkets you'll find products that are packaged in our foil".

Desire for reliability

What every food producer looks for is reliability. Dick: "Fulfilling appointments and delivering on time is essential. Sometimes a customer needs a material immediately, for example for the start of a new application. In addition to the partners we represent, I consult our large network. For transparent foil it usually works to deliver quickly. Printed foil has a delivery time of four to six weeks." What characterises his approach? "Listening to everyone's wishes is paramount. The right transfer to the food producer prevents miscommunication.” Sometimes Dick comes into direct contact with the design department of a large retailer such as Lidl or Albert Heijn. And in early February he accompanied the printing process of the foil in Lithuania at the request of a coffee roasting company. "I'm all for it. We want to limit the risks for our clients."

Convenience consumer

The consumer demands more and more convenience. The number of convenience products for breakfast, lunch and in between is also increasing rapidly. The result is that retail offers more and more small packaging options. "Since recently we have a new fast growing customer that sells ready-to-eat meals online", says Dick. Here, too, advice on packaging choices is of great importance. Because the meal should not only stay fresh, but also needs to be adequately protected during transport. In addition to a wide range of foils, the packaging solution also offers bags. Over 30 years of packaging experience and knowledge about processes help the food producer to make efficient and (socially) responsible choices.

www.globalflexibles.com

Image: Dick Kuperus, Salesmanager at Global Flexibles